Jacksonville Jaguars-Cleveland Browns: Once More with Feeling

It will be a cold and blustery day in Cleveland, but this is football weather, and the Browns have the advantage over the Florida team.

The Jaguars must win to keep their playoff hopes alive. They need a lot of help from other teams, but a loss seals their fate. This should mean this game will be a knockdown, drag-out, slugfest since the Cleveland players are auditioning for jobs next year.

The most interesting aspect of this game will be the coaches. Eric Mangini and his merry band of fellows now are twisting in the air, unsure if they’ll still have jobs after today.

A failure to make the playoffs on the Jaguar’s part could mean changes on that particular staff as well. Everyone is going to be bringing their “A” game today.

My feeling, as of today, on the Brown's coaching situation is that the future already has been decided and today's outcome won't affect that one way or the other. That feeling could change. We'll see if Mike Holmgren has anything to say after the game.

With the renewed emphasis on the running game, look for Jerome Harrison to get a lot of carries again. Conversely, don’t be surprised to see Maurice Jones-Drew scampering for a lot of yards.

If the weather is half as bad as it looks, both offensive coordinators would be wise to stay on the ground.

For Cleveland, what little success Brian Daboll has had has come with the running game, and he should stick to it. Plus, every time you take the ball out of Derek Anderson’s hands, it’s one fewer interception attempt.

Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan really has gotten the best he can out of his last-ranked defensive unit. If they can make one last stand today and shut down the Jaguar’s running attack, it’s one more reason to keep Ryan around next year.

Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Mel Tucker used to hold the same title in Cleveland under Romeo Crennel. He knows Cleveland, having also grown up in the city, but more importantly, he knows exactly what his new team is walking into.

This game will come down to which defense can hold up better under the conditions and whoever can capitalize on the most mistakes. The Browns turnover ratio is -12 to the Jaguars +2, so the Browns have to protect the ball.

In an early January game to be played in arctic conditions, it probably will be a low-scoring affair, but I’ve been wrong before.

Jaguars 17, Browns 13